Cutting and printing machine



May 10, 1949.

J. E. SLOAT CUTTING AND PRINTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet '1 med Jan. so, 1945 INVENTOR JOHN E. SLOAT 1 BY s @ma A'l'TOR EYS J. E. SLOAT CUTTING AND PRINTING MACHINE May 1o, 1949.

. e sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1945 jf' INVENTOR JOH N E. SLOAT ATTORNEYS s sheets-sheet lNvEN'roR JOHN E. SLOAT ABY J. E. SLOAT CUTTING AND PRINTING MACHINE May 1o, 1949.

Filed Jan. 3Q, 1945 May 10, 1949. v J, E, sLQA-r 2,469,526

i CUTTING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed am. so, .1945 v e sheets-Sheet 4 .az A "55.

lll 7 lNvENToR v JOHN E. SLOAT May 1o, 1949.y

J. E. SLOAT CUTTING AND PRINTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. so,A 1945 lNVENTOR .JOHN :.sLoAT BY* -ATTORNEYS May 10 1949 J. E. sLoA-r CUTTING AND PRINTING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 yFiled Jan. .'50, 1945 INVENTQR 'JOHN E. SLOAT ATTORNEYS Patented May 10, 1949 UNITED STATES OFFICE Insulation Products Conn., a partnership Company,

Willimantic,

Application January 30, 1945, Serial No. 575,328

(Cl. lOl- 226) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for either cutting or printing, or cutting and printing strands, tubes, and the like, and by means of which the strands can be partially or completely severed into desired lengths, or printed at desired intervals on one or both sides thereof, or partially or completely severed and printed on one or both sides thereof.

A general object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of this type by means of which any or all of the above mentioned operations can be performed continuously on strands or tubes of long length.

A more detailed object of the invention is to provide an mechanism of this type provided with universal adjusting features to adapt it to printing and cutting operations on strands of different diameters or thicknesses.

Other and more detailed objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the embodiment thereof illustrated in the attached drawings.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts as will be described in detail below.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numerals will be used throughout the several views to indicate the same parts- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the complete mechanism of this invention with a feW parts broken away to show structural details;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 with a few parts broken away to show structural details;

Figure 3 is a left side elevational View of the machine with some parts broken away to show structural details;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of' Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the lefthand portion of the machine showing some parts in cross-section with some parts omitted;

Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views taken on the lines 6 5, 'I-'I, 8 8 and 9 9, respectively, of Figure 5;

Figure 10 is a vertical, central, cross-sectional view through the cutting and printing roll;

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line II-I I' of Figure l0;

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line |2-I2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 13 is' a view partly in section along the line I3--I3pof Figure 2.

As illustrated in the drawings, the machinev is shown as adapted to partially sever a thin walled flexible tubular strand of insulating material of the type frequently used in the electrical arts and commonly known as spaghetti In the drawings this tubular strand is indicated by the reference numeral I (see, for example, Figure 2) being operated upon by the machine tol into short lengths or severed to a greater or less degree than that shown in the drawings, as conditions require. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the machine is not limited to operations on' tubular members but will be equally effective in partially or completely severing ancl/ or printing solid strands whether they be of circular' cross-section or some other geometrical form.

There is illustrated in the drawings any Suitable type of support 4 for the machine to which it is attached by means of bolts 'l engaging angle irons 6 attached to the sides of the base 5 of the machine. Mounted upon the base 5 are three pairs of uprights or standards 8, 9 and I0 united t0 form a rigid structure by means of a top plate I I. The pairs of standards provide guides for car- 'riages for bearing members 33 and 34 vertically adjustable upon the standard pairs 8 and 9. Within these carriages, as will be described in greater detail later, are bearing members I4 adjustable longitudinally of the carriages. Jour- .nalled in the bearing members I4 on a shaft I3 is a cutting and printing drum I2. The shaft I3 extends through a vertically adjustable bearing member 22 slidably mounted on the standard pair Il) (see Figure 1) and has secured on the end `ythereof a drive pulley I5. The pulley I5 is driven by means of a belt I6 through a pulley Il mounted on a shaft I8 which in turn is driven by an electric motor I3 through a suitable gear train, not shown. A well known type of counting device '20 is connected by means of a link 2| to the pulley I5 for the purpose of counting the number of length units that are cut and printed. As will be seen later, each digit indicated on the counter 20 represents 4 lengths of the strand in view of the -fact that the cutting and printing roll I2 is provided with four knives and four sets of type. As

will be most readily seen from Figure 12, the bearingl member. 22 for shaft I3 is provided with'a vertically extending rod 23 attached thereto and securedin a bar or plate 24 lying above the plate il by means of a set screw 25. Also secured to the bar 24 by means of set screws, one of which is shown at 2B and the other at 3G, are a pair of tubular members E1 and 29 which are connected at their lower ends to the carriages 33 and til (see Figure 5). Thus the carriages and'll and the bearing member 22 are all secured togethei` for conjoint movement by means of the bar connection 24. This bar is vertically adjustable in a parallel relation to the plate Il by 4means of a thumbscrew 26 threaded into the plate H and connected to a lug on the side of the bar 2li for rotation thereon while causing movement thereof, as will be clear from Figure 2.

The carriages 33 and 34 slide in the standard pairs 8 and 9 and are generally of T-shaped crosssectional form as is clear from Figure 6 so that in cooperation with the `attached plates 35 and 36, respectively, they are confined to vertical sliding movement on the associated standard pairs. Slidably mounted in the carriages 33 and 34 are a-paircf bearing vblocks 31 and 38 (see Figures 5 and'7) in which is journalled the inking roll 39, Adjusting rods 4D and `All are mounted in the carriages 133 and -34 and extend upwardly through the ltubular members .21 .and .29 so that their wrench receiving ends project above the plate 24 (see Figurerl'). The rodsvil and 4l are connected tothe carriages 33 and 34 so as vto be rotatable without longitudinal movement. As a result their threaded engagement at their lower ends with the bearing members 31 :and 38 permits of ad justment ofthe inking roll 39 with respect to the cutter and 'type roll l2. Since the bearing blocks 31 .and 3.8 are independently adjustable it will be seen that within vlimits `the axis of rotation of the inking roll 39 can be changed under its relationship with the Yaxis of rotation of drum l2 so as yto insure .uniform .inking of the type plates or ,platens kmounted on the linking drum. In a similar way the bearing members i4 for the drum I2 can Ybeadjusted vertically Iin the carriages 33 and 34 by kmeans vof the rods 3| and 32 whose wrench receiving ends also yproject above :the plate 24 -`(see Figure 1). The inner lower aligned faces of thecarriages 33 and 34 are providedwith circularfcam'tracks 42 (see Figures 5xand 10) the function of which will be described later.

Another pairof lcarriages'43 `and 45 with their respectiveattachedplates 44 and-45 are vertically slidable on the lower portions of the standard pairs 8 yand 19 (see`Figures5 and 9 particularly). Secured to the lower ends of the carriages 43 and 45 (see Figure 5) are a pair of tubular Ymembers 41'which project downwardly through the base 5 and are attached to a bar 4,8 VVby means of set screws' a1 (see Figure 2) which bar is provided with arotatablethumbscreW/49'by means of which the lower carriage can be moved as a unit vertically on the -standards in a manner similar to that by lmeans of which the upper carriages 33 and 3i! are adjusted.

Journalled in the carriages 43 and 45 is an abutment andtype roll l50 which'will be described in greater Ydetail later. ySlidably mounted in the carriages 43 and 45 are a pair of lbearing blocks 52 for the lower inking roll '5l journalled therein. Adjustment of the `bearing blocks 52 with respect to these carriages lis `effected by means of a pair of rods 153 passing through the tubes 41 and the connecting bar 48 and united, as is shown in Figure 5 .bymeans of a crossbar54 which in turn is .adjustable by imeans ofthe rotatable thumbscrew 55 (see Ii'guraz).

As 'will .be seen'from Figures 2 and 1, for'example, the bearing members 31 and 38 for the inking roll 39 have a pair of lateral projections united at the outer end to form a yoke 5S in which are slidably mounted a pair of bearing blocks 51a' for the inking roll 3S' which cooperates with the inking roll 3Q. An adjusting screw iii? acting on the yoke 5t connected to the bearing blocks 51 permits radial adjustment ci the inking roll til with respect to the inking roll to varythe Contact pressure therebetween.

In a similar Way the bearing members 52 for the inking roll l have an integral yo ie member E9 in which are slide-bly adjustable by means of the thumbscrew Si a pair of bearing blocks iii) in which is journalled the inking roll 5i which co operates with the inking roll The bearing blocks 65B are united by a yoke 59', similaito yoke 56.

As is well seen in 'Figure 2, a guiding die 63 is provided through which the strand passes to the cutting and printing rolls. The die E3 is secured in a fixture i532 mounted on the standards 8 and 9 by means of a set screw 32 The cutting and printing roll i2 mounted on shaft I3 is shown in greater detail in Figures 10 and ll. It consists of a hanged drum having, as shown, four radial slots in which are mounted the knives @d on the ends of which are rotatably mounted the cam follower wheels 65 Which ride inthe cam grooves 42, Secured to the circumference of the drum between the knives are the type plates 6i held in place by means of the screws Till and having positioning pins tit project ing Aradially into the drum body. Attached to these type plates are the type pads or printing members 69.

The back-up and printing roll 5! is shown in greater detail in Figures 2 and 11. It consists of a flanged drum having, in the case illustrated, four radial slots in which are mounted four strips 56 of some suitable material such as ber or the like forming abutments against which the knives press the strand during cutting. Secured to the drum 5t on its circumference between the abut ment plates @il are the type plates 1l secured thereto by means of screw 12 and having mountec. thereon the printing members Qt. As will be seen from Figure 1l the printing faces of the type project radially beyond the end edges of the abutment member @t so as to be in a position to engage the strand for printing operation.

The various rolls and drums are rotated by means of gear trains best seen in Figures l and 4. It will be recalled that shaft i3 is belted to a motor and driven by it. The gear 13 secured to this shaft. Pivotally mounted on the shaft is an angleshaped lever M which is rotatably mounted the gear 15 which meshes with the gear 13 and also with a gear 'it also rotatably mounted on this lever. Gear Ed meshes with gear 'il attached to the shaft `of the inking roll 3S. A tension spring t5 urges the lever lll in a clockwise direction (Figure 4c) to hold this gear train in cooperative engagement.

Another elbow shaped lever tl is pivotally mounted on the shaft of the abutment and printing roll 5l) to which is secured the gear EL. This gear meshes with a gear 3l rotatably mounted on the lever til which in turn meshes with a gear 19 rotatably mounted on the same lever and meshing with gear 13. A tension spring 3 urges lever in a counterclockwise direction to maintain this gear train operative. A third elbow shaped lever B5 is pivotally mounted on the shaft of .the lower inking roll 5i to which the gear 81 is secured. This gear meshes with the gear 86 rotatably mounted on lever 85 which in turn meshes with a gear 84 rotatably mounted on the same lever and meshing with gear 82. A tension springv 88 urges the lever 85 in a clockwise direction to maintain this gear train operative. It will be seen that by this method of drive the upper and lower carriages can have relative movement with respect to each other and the drum I2 can have relative movement with regard to the carriages 33 and 3d.

While the operation of this machine may be apparent from the foregoing description a concise statement of its operation will be helpful in appreciating its adaptability within its range of adjustment. It will be readily understood that the inking rolls 39' and 51 which are saturated with ink can be adjusted radially with respect to the inking rolls 39 and 5I, respectively, so as to transfer the proper amount of ink thereto. It will be equally understood that the inking rolls 39 and 5I can be radially adjusted with respect to the printing rolls I2 and 50 for proper transfer of ink by means of the adjusting mechanism provided. Thus the inking roll 39 can be moved up and down in the carriage 33-34 by means of the rods 4I] and 4I. Likewise the inking roll 5l may be similarly adjusted by means of the rods 53, bar 54 and adjusting screw 55. Carriages 33-34 and 43--45 may be adjusted with respect to each other by means of the adjusting screws 26 and 49, respectively. Any movement of these carriages causes relative positioning of the parts supported thereby, respectively, without changing the relationship of the various parts on the respective carriages. Thus provision may be made for different thicknesses of strands to be passed between the printing rolls. In addition, the position of the printing roll I2 on the carriage 33-34 can be adjusted by means of the rods 3| and 32 so as to change the eccentricity of the cam grooves 42 with respect to the axis of rotation of the drum I'Z. The result is that the amount of radial movement of the knives 64 with respect to the drum I2, as well as the drum 59, can be adjusted. Likewise the positioning of the abutment and printing roll 50 with respect to the knives in their maximum projected position can be eiected to control the depth of cut so that the strands can be partially or completely severed as required.

With the motor I9 in operation, it will be seen that the inking rolls 39 and 5I, the cutting and printing roll I2 and the abutment and printing roll 50 are oppositely driven in the proper rotational sense with respect to each other by means of the gear trains provided so that when a strand is fed between the printing rolls through the die 63, it will be caused to advance axially at the Y same peripheral speed as that of the drums I 2 and 50 which are, of course, designed to have the same peripheral speed. As drums I2 and 50 rotate in interlocked relation by means of the gear trains it will be seen that as each knife It will be equally clear from the foregoing description that the machine may be easily adjusted for strands of diiferent thickness and that die 63 can be easily be replaced by other dies having a passage of the proper cross-sectional shape to adapt the machine for strands of various cross-sectional forms.

From the above description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject matter of this invention may be embodied in other physical forms a'nd that the embodiment herein illustrated is capable of many detail variations without departure from the scope of the novel subject matter herein disclosed. I do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the embodiment selected for the purpose of disclosing my invention but rather by the claims granted me when correctly interpreted.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cutting machine the combination comprising a frame, a pair of drums rotatably mounted on said frame on parallel axes, a plurality of axially extending knives radially slidable on one of said drums, means for causing sliding movement of said knives on said drum as it rotates, knife cooperating abutment members on the other of said drums, said means for causing sliding movement of said knives comprising relatively xed cam members and cooperating cam followers mounted on the knives, and means for adjusting the relatively iixed cam members with respect to the knife drum to vary the amount of sliding movement of the knives on the drum.

2. In a cutting machine the combination comprising a frame, a pair of drums rotatably mounted on said frame on parallel axes, a plurality of axially extending knives radially slidable on one of said drums, means for causing sliding movement of said knives on said drum as it rotates, knife cooperating abutment members on the other of said drums, and movably mounted slide blocks in which said drums are rotated, said means for causing sliding movement of said knives comprising cam blocks movably mounted on the slide blocks in which the knife drum is rotatably mounted.

3. In a cutting machine the combination comprising a frame, a pair of drums rotatably mounted on said frame on parallel axes, a plurality of axially extending knives radially slidable on one of said drums, means for causing sliding movement of said knives on said drum as it rotates, knife cooperating abutment members on the other of said drums, type members mounted on the knife drum, and means for varying the amount of radial sliding movement of said knives on their supporting drum with respect to the printing plane of said type members whereby for a given printing pressure the cutting depth of said knives can be varied.

4. In a cutting machine for partially severing a strand, the combination comprising a frame, a pair of drums rotatably mounted in said frame on parallel axes, a plurality of axially extending knives radially slidable on one of said drums, means vfor causing sliding movement of said knives on said drum as it rotates, xed knife cooperating abutment members on the other of said drums radially aligned with said knives during cutting, movably mounted slide blocks in which said drums are rotated and the means for causing sliding movement of said knives comprising cam blocks movably mounted on the slide blocks in which the knife drum is rotatably 1 mounted, and type members mounted on the Number knife drum whereby for,l a given printing pressure 1,304,034 the cutting depth of said knives can be Varied. 1,313,325 JOHN E. SLOAT. 1,473,377 5, 1,862,256 REFERENCES CITED 1,965,523

The following references are of record in the le of this patent: 1213947 UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date N b 837,633 Mcfmuny Dee. 4, 190e fz 1,006,783 Paquin Oct. 24, 1911 Name Date Edwards May 20, 1919 Nordyke et al, Aug. 19, 1919 Langston Nov. 6, 1923 Cumfer June 7, 1932 Macfarren July 3, 1934 Mahon Jan. 1, 1935 Riggenbach Nov. 2, 1937 Bodkin June 28, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Aug. 22, 1925 

